White Sand
by Shun Keel
Summary: Due to a unavoidable circumstance, 2 Shinigami are stranded in a cave in Hueco Mundo due to a sandstorm, what could happen in their short confinement? Hitsuruki.


**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach**

**--**

"Damn it, that stupid palace doesn't seem to get any closer!" Ichigo fumed.

Las Noches. The place in the center of Hueco Mundo. That was their current goal, they were sure Aizen was there, along with his arrancar's. Ichigo had been complaning on how it never seemed to get closer no matter how long they walked, ran or whatever.

"Hey Toshiro, how long will it take."

Impatient and disrespectful as ever.

"It's not Toshiro, it's Hitsugaya-taicho. And I don't know, we will get there, so just shut up." Hitsugaya replied in a annoyed tone.

Ichigo quickly felt a hard hit on his head from Rukia.

"What have I told you about respecting Hitsugaya-taicho." She said in a hushed tone. Ichigo rolled his eyes. Most shinigami he's around always tell him to watch his manners around Hitsugaya. Rukia happened to be one of them. He knew it was to stop him from getting mad, but Ichigo being Ichigo, had to have the last laugh.

"Shut up, I'm getting sick of you defending your midget boyfriend."

This time Ichigo was nearly buried in the sand from the force of Rukia and Hitsugaya's blows.

"Your disrespect is getting on my nerves Kurosaki. Bad things happen to disrespectful people. Maybe, you would, for example, become frozen to the highest point in Seireitei with no means of escape."

Ichigo glared at him. "You wouldn't."

Hitsugaya almost smirked. "Try me."

Renji quickly stepped between Hitsugaya and the half buried Ichigo. "No disrespect Taicho, but we should save our fighting for the hollows and such."

Hitsugaya sighed as he watched Renji dig Ichigo out. "As much as I hate to admit it, Abarai's right."

"We should- He never got to finish. Swarms of mantis like hollows erupted from the sand.

"Ambush! Run, Kuchiki, you stay, this type of hollow hate ice, together, we'll take them out quicker! Everyone else, run as far as possible, don't slow done for us! Now!"

--

Rukia's eyes fluttered open. She looked around to grasp her surrondings. It was a small cave jetting of of the desert. A fire burned in the center of it, and she could make out Hitsugaya's form at the opposite end of the cave, his outline illuminated by the flames. She glanced outside and saw a large sandstorm raging outside, one that would by hard to travel through. Memories of the ambush flooded back and she quickly sat up, the sudden movment activated a large wound to her abdomen, causing a sharp pain to flood her body. She winced and fell back down, a small grunt leaving her mouth.

"I see you're awake."

Ignoring the pain, Rukia sat up more slowly, trying not to cause anymore pain. "What happened?" She said weakly.

Hitsugaya looked away from her, a small blush on his face. "You were knocked unconscious from a stab wound to your stomach, I cleaned and fixed your wound for you, but you lost alot of blood."

She gave him a weak smile. "Thanks, Taichou."

"Pull up the blanket."

His words were confusing at first, but soon explained when he pointed to her clothes hanging over the fire. She glanced at herself and let out a small squeak. She quickly pulled up the blanket to cover herself, a large blush was stained on her face.

"Hentai!" Hitsugaya was insulted by this.

"What do you just call me!" Hitsugaya fumed. "I'm your superior, I can have you punished!"

Rukia let out a low growl. "I can understand you cleaning my wounds, but why did you strip me. Even if you are a taichou, you can't use me as a way to fill your desires."

"You got it wrong, I took off your clothes so I could dry them because they were soaked in blood! I would never look at you that way!" He shouted angerly.

Rukia, even knowing the truth, looked insulted.

"Are you calling me unattractive?"

"What!?" He was taken aback by this. He never thought Rukia cared about her looks.

"Do you find me unattractive?"

Hitsugaya glanced at her hidden figure. "Well n-no, but-"

"So you find me attractive."

Now it was Hitsugaya's turn to blush. "I mean I have no special feelings for you! I don't find you attractive or unattractive."

"Oh..." Was her only response.

An awkward slience filled the cave.

"Sorry."

"W-what?"

She stared at him wide eyed. He said he was sorry to her. She had just insulted him and yet said he was sorry. Plus, to even hear him say that word in any sentence was rare, but for him to apologize, that was a different story.

"I should've asked you when you woke up if you wanted your clothes dryed."

She shook her head. "N-no, don't apologize. It was a good idea, but are you sure you didn't look at me."

"I'm sure."

That was a lie. He only got the idea to dry her clothes so he could get a chance to see her. The only reason he stopped looking was because she had started to stir. The truth was, he found her attractive, but he would never say that out loud.

He had spaced out and in that time Rukia had walked over to him, ignoring a small amount of pain that came from her wound. He snapped out of his self trance when he senced a person sitting next to him.

"So, where is everyone." She asked quietly

"Who knows, I can't contact them because this part of Hueco Mundo blocks all the transmissions I give out. Plus, we can't go after them untill this storm clears. We can't even go back to Seireitei right now. We were lucky that I found this place, who knows how they're fairing."

"Oh..." She sounded depressed, although, it was understandable.

"So what do you want to do untill we can leave?" Depressed to bored in a second. Most would probibly think how there friends were doing or how they would find them for a few minutes if they were in this situation. But, this was Rukia Kuchiki, he wondered how he ever fell for such a random girl.

"Nothing."

She sighed and poked him in the arm. "When will my clothes be dry, I feel uncomfortable being naked around you."

"A few minutes." He said blankly.

She sighed agian and poked his arm once more.

"What!?"

"Can we talk about something at least, I'm bored."

He sighed. "Like?"

She thought for a few minutes before answering. "What's your favorite food."

"What's that got to do with anything?"

She smiled. "It doesn't, and that's the point, random things are fun."

"No there not."

"Yes they are."

He sighed and shook his head. Trying to win an arguement with this girl was impossible. He saw people try and fail, and he was almost sure that she won against Byakuya once before.

"If I answer, you have to answer one of my questions."

"Deal."

"Fine, watermelons." He said blankly.

"I see, I heard that from Ukitake-taicho once or twice."

"My favorite food..., I don't really have one, but I guess it would be some sort of candy, something sweet."

Hitsugaya shivered. "I can't stand sweets. Ukitake has given me so many, I've lost my taste for them. He treats me like a child."

"What?!" Rukia looked upset.

"What's wrong?"

"Why does Ukitake-taichou give you candy and not me."

He shook his head. Childish. He had heard that she was immature, more then mentally, although, he had just learned that wasn't the complete truth.

"How should I know."

Rukia grinned at him.

"What?"

"Taicho, may I ask you something?"

He sighed. "Go ahead."

"Well, since you don't want all the sweets you get, can I have them." He sighed again. Typical Rukia.

"Sure."

Rukia's face lit up. "Really taicho, thank you!" She quickly hugged him, knocking both herself and him to the ground. She quickly regretted this action. The sudden movment activated her wound, causing it to start bleeding. She gasped in pain and stiffened, still on top of him.

Ignoring the embaressment, Hitsugaya moved Rukia off him and began to fix her reopened wound.

"Baka, what the hell where you doing!"

"Oh, shut up."

Ignorent as ever.

"Hey. Youre a taicho, shouldn't you be able to completely heal me."

He smirked. "I could, but this way, you'll learn your lesson, don't let your guard down."

She glared daggers at him.

He finish healing her as he moved away and put his back ageinst the wall. "Go to sleep, we'll get a plan when the storm clears and we can leave."

He closed his eyes and thought of something that didn't seem right to him. The storm. A normal storm, or at least a storm in Hueco Mundo shouldn't have been able to trap him. Was it just a powerful hollow, an arrancar, or was Aizen trying to buy time. And if Aizen was trying to buy time, what for. Many inquiries flooded his mind untill his train of thought was broken by Rukia.

"You asleep?"

"No." He opened his eyes and found Rukia sitting next to him. "Why?"

"No reason, just wondering."

"This storm doesn't seem right, don't you think."

"Nope, calm down and relax for once, you now they say you're one of the most workaholic people in Seireitei."

He sighed. He didn't want an arguement.

She loosened her grip on the blanket, letting it slid off her shoulders. She moved extremly close to Hitsugaya and whispered. "You know taicho, i could help you relax."

His face turned a deep shade off red. "W-what."

She smirked. "Oh, come on taicho, you know you want to."

His face was one of disbelief and shock. "K-kuchiki."

She let out a soft purr. "All you have to do is say yes."

"U-uh." He still couldn't believe what was happening. It reminded him of a dream he had only a few days before.

She began to laugh.

"Huh."

"You should have seen your face." She laughed out.

He had been fouled.

He growled in anger, he wasn't going to hurt her, but he was thinking about it.

Rukia instantly stop laughing. "I'm sorry taicho, I was just trying to help you calm down, you think to much."

He sighed and closed his eyes. "And you think to little. Go to sleep."

She looked away, but quickly got an idea. "I'll go right to sleep if you do me a favor."

He opened one eye in slight interest. "What?"

"Um, after and if we return to Seireitei, would you like to just talk some time or whenever."

He thought about it for a minute before quietly saying.

"Maybe."

-

Rukia was quickly awakened by Hitsugaya, his face quite close to her hers.

"T-taicho." She asked, still slightly asleep.

"Get dressed, we can leave. I'll be outside, come out when you're ready." He turned around and left the small cave, leaving Rukia alone. She quickly got dressed and rushed out to meet hm.

"So, where is everyone?"

"Not to far ahead, they probibly got slowed down by the storm as well, we'll be able to reach them in an hour if we hurry."

She nodded. "Lets go."

She secretly smiled. She was so glad she stole a kiss from him while he was sleeping.

And Hitsugaya was glad he never actually fell asleep.


End file.
